There was silence in the main lounge. The thick, heavy kind of silence that seemed to stretch into every corner of the room. All four alphas were seated comfortably, yet there was nothing relaxed about it.
Asher and Roman sat directly across from each other, both of their arms folded and jaws clenched. The air between them crackled with tension and neither of them would meet the other’s eyes.
Griffin and Alaric exchanged a glance that was equal parts awkward and wary. Although Violet had brought them together, it didn’t erase the fact that Asher and Roman had been the closest, hence seeing them fight like this was simply weird.
Violet in question stood in the middle of it all, looking like the only adult in a room full of sulking, power-packed man-children.
She exhaled, loud enough to break the silence.
"So." She said the word plainly, her tone clipped. "Does anyone have anything to say?"
She didn’t need to clarify. The question was aimed directly at Asher and Roman. And as expected, the both of them said nothing.
Violet then clapped her hands, saying,
"Well, since none of you is willing to talk, let me then."
"You." Violet started with Asher, her eyes blazing. "You punched Roman in the face, which is completely out of control and absolutely unacceptable. I will not tolerate violence in this harem, no matter how heated things get."
Asher’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t argue.
"And bridle your tongue, Asher," Violet added, her tone cooling into steel. "This is going to be a healthy relationship. No one is dragging the other down with words I’m sure they don’t even mean."
Asher let out a reluctant groan, and looked away in shame. Violet knew she’d struck the chord, he hadn’t meant the words he said, and it was eating at him. Okay he meant it. Just a little.
Before he could get comfortable in his guilt, Violet turned.
"And you." She pointed now at Roman, who looked like he might slink under the nearest cushion. "You’ve been accused of being impulsive. And God, how true is that."
Roman opened his mouth, probably to defend himself, but Violet pressed her finger against her lips in a hush. He stopped instantly. She had given them the chance to speak, he didn’t, so it was her turn.
"I love your spontaneity, Roman. I do," she said, "but if it turns into recklessness, especially when it puts others in danger, then we’ve got a problem. You have to learn how to curb it."
Roman swallowed, his head dipped in shame. "I’ll work on it."
"Good," Violet nodded, then turned back to Asher expectantly. "Well?"
For a moment, it looked like Asher might stay stubborn, but then he muttered, "Fine. I’ll be less harsh."
Violet raised a brow, grinning. "Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine."
Then, before either of them could catch on, she said, "Alright. Kiss and make up."
"What?" Asher and Roman chorused in horror.
"I meant it literally," Violet said sweetly, folding her arms.
Asher recoiled like she’d asked him to lick a toilet seat. Roman, on the other hand, lit up like a firecracker and he stood immediately.
"Oh, hell no," Asher backed away, pointing. "Roman. Stay back."
But Roman kept coming, his eyes gleaming with the delight of a man on a mission.
"Don’t you—Roman, I’m warning you—"
It was too late because with a feral grin, Roman lunged and tackled Asher to the floor in a heap of limbs and smooched him right on the lips.
Violet doubled over, howling with laughter while Griffin clutched his stomach and Alaric let out an actual wheeze. Asher shoved Roman off him like he’d been lit on fire, his face contorted in sheer horror.
Roman lay sprawled on the carpet, grinning smugly. "That’s for the punch."
Asher sat up, swiping at his lips with the back of his hand like he’d been poisoned. Then he looked at Violet laughing and said, "So are we going to talk about that now?" he referred to the bruise on her neck.
The laughter ceased and the atmosphere shifted immediately. Way to go, Asher.
"I still don’t get how I ended up there," Violet muttered, touching the bruise. "One second I was asleep and the next, I’m standing in the hallway, all of us."
Alaric glanced at Asher and said.
"What if it wasn’t random? What if you didn’t just dreamwalk on your own?"
Violet raised a brow. "I don’t understand."
"Not consciously," Alaric replied, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "But you said it happened when you were sleeping near him"—he nodded at Asher—"and your powers are still unstable and undefined. If they’re rooted in the mind, and you were lying next to someone whose whole thing is mental manipulation—"
"You think I caught it like a flu?" Violet asked dryly.
"More like your power synced with his," Alaric said. "Think of it like a tuning fork. His mind vibrated at a frequency, and yours fresh, and reactive mirrored it. Maybe for a moment, your subconscious borrowed the framework of how he connects and built your own."
Violet blinked. "So I created that world with Asher’s help and I choose to visit Lila’s dream?"
Asher looked at her, amazed. "So she dream-walked not because she meant to but because she wanted to with my help. Subconsciously."
"Exactly," Alaric said. "She just didn’t know the door was open until she walked through it."
Roman lifted his hand. "Can someone explain in lame man understanding, please?"
"Second that."Griffin concurred.
Alaric said. "It’s a theory, alright? But it’s solid. I think Violet’s at risk of dream walking especially when she’s sleeping close to Asher since he’s the only one with mental powers here. If Violet’s awakening psychic abilities, even subconsciously, then he’s basically acting like a live wire. He touches her, she sparks."
Violet squinted at him. "So what? You’re saying I should stay away from Asher now? Seriously?"
"I didn’t say that," Alaric replied, voice calm but firm. "I’m just saying proximity could be a trigger."
"Well, I’m not avoiding him. We need each other right now more than ever. I’m not pulling away just because things are messy."
Asher then said. "Then let’s figure it out together. I’ll teach you how my powers work. Everything I know. Maybe that’ll help you control it, or at least not get dragged into some freaky fae dreamscape again."